Gujarat Titans (GT) have suffered a significant setback as wicketkeeper Robin Minz has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Signed by the Titans for a hefty sum of INR 3.60 crore in December 2023, Minz’s acquisition followed an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Minz made history as the first Adivasi cricketer to join the IPL. However, his participation was cut short due to injuries sustained in a bike accident earlier this month, where he lost control of his Kawasaki superbike and collided with another bike. In Minz’s absence, the Titans have named 27-year-old BR Sharath as his replacement. Alongside Sharath, GT also boasts the presence of Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade as specialist wicketkeepers.
Sharath brings valuable experience from his tenure with Karnataka in domestic cricket since debuting in 2018. With 28 first-class matches under his belt, the wicketkeeper-batsman has accumulated 328 runs at an average of 15.61 and a strike rate of 118.84, with a top score of 50.
Additionally, Sharath has amassed 616 runs in 20 first-class matches and 732 runs in 43 List A matches, including 1 century and 7 half-centuries. As a wicketkeeper, he has contributed with 19 catches and 9 stumpings.
Despite not featuring in any cricket matches this year, with his last tournament being the Vijay Hazare Trophy in November-December 2023, Sharath is poised to make an impact for the Titans.
Under the leadership of Shubman Gill, the Titans are set to kick off their campaign on March 24 against Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. GT faces a challenging path ahead following Pandya’s departure to his former franchise in Mumbai, after effectively leading the team in 2022 and 2023.
